Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion has added another achievement to his resume, and broke the Guinness World Record for BATAK reflex reaction test.
Jenson Button famously won the 2009 F1 Drivers’ Title with Brawn GP, the team that rose from the ashes of the Honda F1 project and dominated that season with their double diffuser aero trick under the leadership of Ross Brawn.
Brawn GP was taken over by Mercedes, and after a few years of rebuilding between 2010 and 2013, the team made its breakthrough in 2014, the start of the turbo-hybrid era, winning seven consecutive F1 Drivers’ Titles and a record eight consecutive Constructors’ Titles.
Button left to McLaren for 2010 and remained there until his retirement from the sport in 2016, only to come back for one race in 2017, that year’s Monaco Grand Prix to replace Fernando Alonso who was racing in IndyCar that weekend.
Button currently works as a consultant with Williams.
A Guinness World Record holder
Button was presented with the challenge to go for the record in the BATAK reflex reaction test by streaming service NOW, one of several online streaming services that cover Formula 1.
Button achieved 58 strikes in 30 seconds, beating the previous record of 56 strikes in 30 seconds and that was held by Arshia Shahriari from Iran for four years.
F1 drivers are known to use The BATAK light reaction machine frequently to improve their reaction speed, hand co-ordination and stamina.
Targets light up randomly across the board and participants must hit each light within an allotted time to test their peripheral vision and ability to respond quickly.
F1 drivers’ reaction times are three times faster than the average person, ensuring they can overcome any challenge they face on the track, and undergo intense training programs to make sure they can sustain the forces of gravity they experience in their cars, up to 6G, while racing in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Jenson Button commented on his world record, saying: “Always nice to add a new trophy to the collection – and an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title at that. I set my unofficial record in my twenties, so it’s great to see that I’ve still got it, twenty years later!”
As for the 2023 F1 season, the Briton said: “We’re looking at one of the most exciting seasons yet with Max, Lewis and the guys at Ferrari – it’s definitely looking a three-way race for the Championship this year and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”
A spokesperson for Guinness World Record added: “As an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, I’ve seen countless record attempts, but Jenson Button’s achievement in extinguishing 58 Batak lights in 30 seconds was very impressive.
“Breaking this record requires not only lightning-fast reaction times but also the ability to maintain focus and rely on peripheral vision, as Jenson demonstrated. It’s a testament to his skill as a race driver and a reminder that breaking records isn’t just about physical ability, but also mental discipline and strategy.”
Jamie Schwartz, Marketing and Merchandising Director from NOW said: “We’re glad that we could work with an F1 legend like Jenson and get him into the record books. Setting a new World Record is definitely a great way to kick off the 2023 F1 season which is looking to be one of the best ever.”